Canon
by NaruBaby2496
Summary: NextGen.She somersaulted, rolling behind a log and into her enemy turned teammate, avoiding a tagged bomb kunai. Breath uneven, she growled at him. "You said they didn't wanna kill us!" He smiled, "I said might not, babe." She glared. "You are so stupid."
1. Practictalities

Canon

* * *

.1.

_**Practicalities**_

.1.

* * *

The world, I've heard, is a blown up beach ball of molten lava, sedimentary rock, dirt, and cracking seismic landforms filled to the brim of people, millions of thousands of people, boys, girls, woman, men—people.

Some people are people-persons; others are those types of sadistic, pessimistic people who would rather watch that people-person burn in boiling, sizzling, yellow acidic waste, laugh as they squirm in failed attempts of saving themselves as their skin peels off piece by piece, smile in pure joy when they shrivel up like a raisin.

However, people like that, those sick, twisted in the mind fiends, I shouldn't be speaking of or about, for they are are a simple waste of my time and a spoiling to this Earth's majestic surface.

Those people, _them_, _they_ are not a part of anyone's life here. They mean nothing to anyone here, for they, the 'peacekeepers', those unmerciful, conceited, and prideful _pricks_…are who keep this world from reaching its fullest potential. They are who stop 'peace' from being able to be achieved.

They, the enemy, are Konoha.

* * *

The sky was tainted a rich, thick red, holding a similar eeriness to that of blood, fresh, hot-to-the-touch blood, bloody residue left over on a ninja's katana after lacerating the victim into bite-size pieces_ slowly_, blood—the sky looked like blood.

The air smelled like it; the thickness suffocating to the lungs, yet, the odd pulling sensation of the tender muscle contracting difficultly did nothing to stop her, simply because the sky looked like blood, scarlet and smoldering, the air smelled like blood, humid, thick, and hanging lowly, the fields covered in blood. She liked it, enjoyed it, wanted more blood wherever blood could be.

A low, sinister, chuckle tickled at the back of the sixteen-year-old beauty's throat, tightening the high-strung ambience further. _It was almost over_, she thought deeply, adding a quick quirk that tweaked her lips upward in a slow, intimidating way, into a smirk, _almost over for those bitches_.

Four strongly built men waited anxiously on a westward wall, facing away from the high concrete barriers, leaning into a defensive crouch, waiting, waiting, and anticipating for what would happen next. Clear blue eyes, eyes as blue as an Aruba Ocean, narrowed analytically a mere millimeter when the girl clad in seemingly counterproductive heeled ninja shoes took a painstakingly slow, thought out step forward.

He found his heart beating faster, harder, and achingly in his chest, begging just to burst out already when the teenager stepped onto a dry lifeless leaf. The crinkling crunch of the brown companion of the few trees inside the dead, long forgotten stadium reminding him far too much of the snapping, splitting sound of bones, of his comrade's bones. He swallowed thickly, and then licked his own cracking lips, returning to panting less than a second later. The Chuunin in front of him was calculating her movements for too long, long enough to send him shaking.

Unintentionally, he moaned, the pain of his own injuries taking their toll, the poison finally activating. Just as he felt the skin around the deep, flesh-endowed wounds, tighten, opening the wounds further, his last standing of ten men started moaning and groaning in agony. Blue brown eyes flicking everywhere, anywhere to find an escape, he muttered tiredly, "Shit." He almost didn't believe it; he was caught in a genjutsu, and he allowed it to go on for far too long. There was almost no way out.

His comrades had melted away, gone with the changed location.

Sharply, the girl's eyes as red as the blood red sky averted in the teen's direction narrowed dangerously as she seemingly stared through his soul. A wide smirk donning her angelic face, the teen giggled. "Would you like me to stop—to end it all?" Her voice was sweet, innocent, too much so considering the circumstances, and the quick glint of mischevitiy in her eyes darkened greatly.

His eyes narrowed, and he gripped the hilt of his katana, hard, so hard the stressed, tired leather burning on his bloodied hands. He'd have to do this quickly, and, normally, it wouldn't be a problem, he was one of the fastest in his village, but this girl was just as fast as he was if not faster.

His brain racked for jutsu he could use.

Ninjutsu were out, the girl could complete hand signs as he did, almost as if she was copying. Genjutsu were out, he was caught in one right now, and he knew that if she could cast something this powerful and _real_, she'd dispel anything he could create with a blink of her eyes, as if it was a walk in the park.

Slowly, he released the handle of the sword. There was no point trying to use it. She had one of her own, and, just looking at her, he could tell he knew how to use it. His was really just for show.

The wind blew harshly, sending his dark blue sweat dampened hair westward. He smiled, white teeth flashing brightly. "Just give me a second to think. You're tired, I'm tired, and I can tell you're almost out of chakra."

She watched him carefully, her fingers twitching toward her senbon, but her eyes never leaving his. What was he getting to? A ninja asking an enemy ninja for a break, a second to think? He couldn't possibly be serious, could he? Nevertheless, somehow, she let her tensed muscles relax, and she carefully, slowly rose from her crouch, moving her hand from the poisoned senbon.

"You're asking me for an intermission during the middle of a war battle…" Her voice echoed through the seemingly empty stadium, inquisitive and cautious, but still hard, not soft enough to be asking a question. Her head tilted to the left, her eyes narrowing on his, the absence of a pupil and the pronounced nerves on the side of his head. She stared for a second, contemplating. They were eye nerves, no doubt a trait from having the Byakugan, a kekkei genkai of the Hyuuga clan.

That's how he knew of her chakra levels.

He nodded. "The way I look at it, we both have two choices. We can pit it out to the end now and probably end up being severely injured because of chakra deprivation, either that or dead, as in the both of us—"

She couldn't stand listening to him anymore. What was he talking about—two choices? As a ninja, you have one, and that is to fulfill the wishes of your Kage whatever the ending may be. Death is always an option. One that should be taken openly when you accepted the job.

Her hand reached into her ninja pouch, pulling out five thin senbon, and with speed only caught by an expert, she sent them hurling toward the same target.

His eyes widened, and it was like a scene straight out of Matrix.

As soon as they left her hand, he caught sight them, the sound ripping through the wind. There were five. One was high up in the air in an arc that would most likely reach him in no less than a quarter of a second, aimed toward a vital point between his neck and shoulder, he decided as he twisted on his heel, avoiding the third, aimed toward his lung. It hit the wall with a solid _thwack_ as he back bended away from the forth, it a hair's breath away from his throat. The fifth stormed down faster than her expected, and he pushed off his hands and into a flip, avoiding it and getting closer toward something that had caught his eye.

_There…!_he thought, after landing lucidly on his feet and swung his left fist back, his knuckles whacking a tree, sending splinters, shards of wood and debris through the air with a bang. The walls of the stadium bounced and flickered like a broken television, returning to the lush green forest he remembered being in. _Found it…_

Just as quickly as he saw it, it disappeared, and his back slammed against the concrete walls of the genjutsu produced stadium walls, hard pressure around his throat, a gloved hand constricting his neck, a sword embed into his gut. Reflexively his hands snapped up to grab the wrist of his holder, his other gripping her throat.

She sneered at him, her eyes dark red and filling his vision.

"You're _very_ stupid...to think that I was just going to stand there the whole time and watch you look for weaknesses."

"It was worth a try."

The wind blew again, and she shook her head, yanking her own katana out of his flesh easily, placing it back into its holder, eyes curious. "You're a bad ninja, too. You'd be dead in a second if you were raised in Sound."

He laughed, "Same goes for you."

There wasn't even a second left for her to think, because as quickly as the damn clone poofed away in cloud, a punch as strong as her own was sent in her direction. Turning quickly on her heels, she thrust her hand up with a grunt, barely keeping the fist from crushing her skull. She felt the bones crack inside of her hands, and with a quick assumption, she could safely say she had a few broken fingers, her joint was on its way toward snapping, and it would if this Konoha bitch kept pushing.

Ignoring the pain, she pushed back, her feet digging into the ground. If there wasn't a single moment she wished she had more chakra, a single moment where she wished she were a guy and just had strength and size on your side, naturally, she wished it now.

She met his struggling gaze and wondered why he wasn't using any Hyuuga branch techniques. He could use Byakugan so why not bring even more honor to his clan's name by—then it hit her, right when she saw the swirling blue chakra coming in to her direction from up high, two doppelgangers that he must've made earlier holding the massive orb.

She quickly swiped her hand away from his, and twirled on her foot, sending her right around in a roundhouse kick that sent her enemy Chuunin far away from her and slamming into another wall, a huge crater forming in the concrete.

Wind filled her ears seconds later and she fell to the ground, rolling away, missing the spiraling chakra by millimeters. "Goddamn _it_," She cursed, the huge distraction enough to send her genjutsu flickering. She had nowhere near enough to fix it back up as well as it was before and kill her opponent, and if it dispelled fully, she had all those other annoying Konoha-nin to worry about.

Her eyes widened as she caught a metal kunai speeding her direction with her Sharigan, and her breath hitched when she did a back handspring onto her feet, the sharp blade shaving off a couple strands of her dark purple hair.

She swiped out her own kunai, eyes murderous. Where is he?

A flash of blue caught her eye, and she looked around, circling for another, steadier chakra signal that came with the form. Since the punk could use clones, he was making it difficult, especially so since they were spread randomly, chakra spread evenly. He was making it hard for her to find him, the original.

He watched her circle around from behind a tree, chakra cloaked, eyes calculating her chakra levels. She had about one more jutsu in her, if exhaustion didn't kick in first, but he couldn't talk. He was in the same boat and, if she was drowning, so was he.

"Come out! We're not playing hide and seek!"

A small smile cracked on his face. No shit, they weren't playing hide and seek. It's called hide and ignore the searing pain of stomach acids pouring into your flesh while managing to stay alive. He covered his eyes trying to remember that healing jutsu his Mom taught him a while back.

She let her voice fill the empty void of silence, it echoing, as she stared at a particular tree. A sudden spike came from over there, and she knew there was something special about it. She kneeled to the ground and felt several clones lean closer to her, waiting to pounce, and she smiled triumphantly. She found him, but just to make sure…

Her hand gripped the pebble on the ground and hurled it toward the tree, and as soon as it hit the ground, the chakra fell back to its previous level.

He stopped abruptly, eyes snapping open, Byakugan gone. He didn't have enough chakra to keep it up and attempt to patch up his stomach some. All he knew was that that wasn't a normal katana, that there had to be some sort of poison on it. No normal cut would've felt as acidic.

Kneeling to a crouch, he narrowed his eyes to thin slits as he looked through the heavy foliage for the pretty kunoichi. Just as he realized she was no longer in the center of the stadium, a strong hand yanked him up quickly and swung him back down hard, his head banging against the dirt ground. A body fell onto his, a fist slamming into his face.

His vision dotted white, but he mustered enough strength to heave himself up, so they were switched positions, and he was straddling her, the katana that he'd swiped from the holder on her hip ghosting over her throat.

"I could kill you now," He informed hoarsely, trying to keep from coughing up blood though it was really becoming inevitable.

She glared, blood red eyes melting into forest green. "Well? Do it. I'm not stopping you."

The air tensed between their struggled breaths; the genjutsu flickering uncontrollably. There was no point toward keeping it up. If she would, she would no doubt die, instead of pass out chakra deprived.

"I can't."

Her sword clanked to the ground loudly, and she was left confused when he got off her, leaning against a nearby tree.

He was leaving the sword right next to her to grab, and he was just sitting there against the tree, breathing carefully, coughing blood onto his hand, and not even putting up any type of defense.

She sat up, noticing the particular strain on her right side. She gripped it, blood pooling onto her hand. That had to be three broken ribs, maybe a fractured lung. "What…do you mean…you can't!" She demanded through strained breaths, eyeing him with hard green eyes.

He turned to face her, face bruised, eyes tired, blood rolling off his chin and onto his clothes, dirt clotting the wavy blue hair that was sweat and blood plastered to his forehead. "Just that. And you had your chances, too."

She stared at him, silently asking him to continue, heaving carefully before coughing. The blood, red and bright, covered her hand, the hand that she could see the bones popping out of, and onto the sun-dried dirt, painting it. White dots danced over her vision, but she refused to blackout without getting an answer.

He laughed quietly, eyes half-lidded, the world becoming darker and darker by the second. "It's not important…"

"Don't!"

His eyes snapped open. "What…?"

She blinked the annoying signs of exhaustion away from her vision, and forced her brain to stay awake, her last bits of chakra to heal the worst of her wounds. "What's your name?" She asked before the last of her will blew away with the coming wind.

And with it, she swore she heard a tired reply of, "Kichiro. Uzumaki…Kichiro…"

The genjutsu fell, returning the two bloodied Chuunin to a field, Sound-nin lacerated across the darkened red grass along with the dying Konoha-nin, them piled a top each other, the sounds of thunder and lightening, hurling wind, pelting rain, and panicked allies filling the air.

* * *

"Search for survivors," Sasuke ordered monotonously to a group of medics, his own eyes roaming over the field covered with ninja, hitai-ate from Konoha, Sound, everywhere spread on the grass covered in blood, the metal cracked, symbols crossed.

He searched for recognizable faces, hair, skin, eyes, _clothes, _anything.

The medic closest to him caught his attention by clearing his throat. "Sasuke-sama, are we still looking for Kohana?"

His shoulders tensed, back straightened, and jaw tightened. "Primarily, yes."

The medic nodded an affirmative before turning to the rest of his coworkers, telling them that they were still looking for the same person, but if anyone else was found alive, that they should scavenge for their lives, too. Kohana was top priority.

As they dispersed, Sasuke scanned the field one more time for even the smallest flicker of her chakra, then turned quickly turned on his heel, stuffing his hands angrily into his pockets, heading back to camp base.

He'd be damned if his little girl was gone because of Konoha.

* * *

_**A/N: **__OMG! Seriously, I don't know where this came from! But…I like it! LOL; I hope you like it, too. _

_Review and I'll continue! Anonymous reviews are accepted, and I answer questions unlike meanie people : ) !_

_(PS: If you didn't catch it, this is a Next Generation fic. Which means it is Naruto and the Gang's children…) _

**NaruBaby2496**


	2. Clans

Canon

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.2.

_**Clans**_

.2.

* * *

I remember when I was younger and the only thing I had to worry about was the weather and how it correlated with my outfits.

I miss that.

* * *

Haruno Sakura was the type of woman everyone looked up to in Sound. She was strong, not only physically but also mentally. She picked her battles wisely and she fought wisely considering her position as Head Medic, she was what every medic-nin-in-training aspired to be, she was the one people used as their benchmark. If they learned something new, they compared it to what she could do, and then bettered it.

What Haruno Sakura wasn't, though, was perfect. She made her fair share of mistakes, and she has her handful of regrets, her thoughts of 'I should've' and 'I could've' and 'What if I would've' multiple in her mind.

Now, stitching up the side of a Sound-nin, one she recognized from the grocery store, seeing him every morning in Aisle 6, otherwise known as the produce section, she thought of all those regrets.

He was a kind man, always smiling, his eyes a warm brown. He was lucky he only got out of his battle with a few deep cuts across his chest, stomach, back and nothing more serious than a broken thumb, because she knew the talent of Konoha. She knew better than most people did here even dreamt of knowing about her home village.

As she focused her chakras around, carefully removing the vials of poison that she recognized as being the same Kankuro used all the time with his puppets, she sighed, feeling more torn than some of her patients' ligaments were. She loved Konoha; really, she did, with all of her heart. She wanted nothing more than happiness for it, and, once upon a time, she would've died for the village.

Then, Sasuke appeared, returning to Konoha wrapped in chains, his aura as dark as she remembered from the day she'd tried killing him, when he tried killing her. She hated him then, refusing to visit him while he was in the interrogative cells, locked down there under ANBU surveillance. It wasn't until Naruto forced her in there did she slowly, slowly, slowly start to realize that he had some sense, yes, it was just twisted and warped. It wasn't all of Konoha against his clan.

It was just the council.

However, Sakura couldn't up and say 'Hey, Sasuke, let's go kill the Council'. It was more complicated, and it seemed he understood, she knew she did, but he wasn't happy about that. The dark void in his eyes told her that he didn't want to be here in Konoha. It brought back to many bad memories. It just teased that thought in his mind to kill; it dared him to try to do something about the inability to avenge his clan, because the minute he did something questionable, he would be sentenced to death.

Tears started to build up in Sakura's eyes as she forced out the last bits of the purple liquid in Tenamaru-san's muscle.

Eventually, after plenty of argument between the Council, the Rookie 11, Kakashi, and all the villagers in hopes of Sasuke's return, they let him out of those dusty cells, but his chakra was locked, and ANBU followed him everywhere he went, which wasn't really anywhere. Sasuke would stay locked up in his house, staring into the darkness with the lights off, or he would go and train, taking out his pent-up anger on dummies, trees, and if they were brave enough, Naruto or Kakashi.

It took months, months after until Sasuke finally started talking, and that was only on missions out of the village. They were short conversations, but they were something. To Sakura, it felt like they were back as the original Team 7, Sasuke and Naruto bickering at any given moment, and she breaking up the fights between them. Except this time, she could protect herself. She found and still finds pride in that fact. She's stronger because of them, because of Sasuke, in some twisted way.

She always wanted his acceptance of her strength, for him to accept her as strong, as a competitor and a teammate. She wanted him to say it, and not just act like it, because words are solidifying to the soul.

Sakura remembers the night perfectly, when she had forced him to train with her on the outskirts of Konoha, and, she didn't win, not like she expected to, but she did put up a fight and if it weren't for his pride, the fight would've been declared a tie. There were so many stars outside that night, and after she finished healing up the both of them, they laid back into the grass and stared at the constellations.

It was almost scarily silent, especially with Naruto gone on a mission with his ANBU team. She pointed toward a star with a smile, "That's pretty, ne, Sasuke?"

"I want to leave Konoha, Sakura." He said bluntly, not even looking at the star. His eyes were distant, roaming through memories that were permanent.

Sakura can still feel the same pull of her heart when she heard that. She always knew that he didn't want to be back, but words always solidify things.

"…Where do you want to go, then?" She said softly, keeping tears from falling.

He cleared his throat, "They want me to lead in Sound."

"Oh. Well, we'll miss you here, you know. But," She laughed, "make sure to get the papers filled out. You don't want to be considered a missing—"

He stared at her, eyes surprisingly soft. "I want you to come with me."

Sakura blinked the big puddles of water forming in her eyes away from her vision. No matter how many times she thought of that memory, she couldn't keep from crying. She, in some ways, was regretful of that choice to leave. She was still close to her friends in Konoha, extremely close, seeing as she used to visit them every weekend before she and Sasuke married, and then she would visit every other week after she gave birth to their firstborn. She loved them very much, but she never thought things would come to this.

She thought that finally Sound and Konoha, and even Sand, could form an alliance, all the violence would disappear, but hopeful thinking is only thought unless acted upon and left innocent. She never thought that a Fifth Ninja War would break out. She never thought it would put her against the man, the children, the people, and her children, all of whom she loved, and her home village.

It never crossed her mind of that possibility that the Konoha Council would try to attack Sound by sending Special Jonin out on the mission while Naruto was out completing his own, because when the Hokage is gone, the Council is in charge. It never was a possibility that her children's lives were put on hostage just because they were Uchiha. She never imagined a village Council having such hatred toward a clan that they would want them obliterated even if they weren't civilians of your village.

With all this though, she could see why a war came out. There was nothing Sasuke cared for more than his family, than his village, and whoever threatened that…

Sakura let a fat tear roll down her cheek. She felt like a double agent, in ways. Afraid to fight against the enemy because she loves them, and afraid to help her home because she loves the enemy. It was tearing.

She pulled her warm, chakra infused hand across Tenamaru's side one more time, making sure his skin was stitched well, and she reached over him to get the bandages.

His eyebrows rose high when he saw the tears dampening the woman's cheeks, and concern glassed over his eyes. "Are you okay, Sakura-san? Did I—"

"No," She smiled, "you didn't do anything. I was just thinking, is all. Could you sit up some, Tena-kun?"

He nodded quickly and pushed himself up on the cot, a makeshift hospital bed and the best one could do on a Camp Base, but couldn't let the matter go. "Are you sure, Saku—?"

The tent flap opened widely, and plenty of noise followed it, two tall, built teens rushing through the tent.

"Where's my Mom?" One with dark smooth red hair that barely touched his shoulders demanded, running into a bewildered nurse, her golden eyes wide in confusion.

She shrugged. "I-I—"

His slate eyes narrowed, aggravated. "Where is Uchiha Sakura?"

"O-O-O-um, B-12. Just down that way—"

He threw her a quick, "Thanks," and yelled, running in the direction of one of the subsections of the huge tent. "B-12!"

The elder teen hoisted the bundle in his arms up carefully and ran around all of the cots spread throughout on the floor, jumped over medical trays, bins and tables, swerved around medics themselves, jet black, spiky hair blowing past his gorgeous face.

He ignored the numerous, "Hey!", "Watch it!", and "Be careful!" calls that the medics yelled at him as he followed his younger brother, quickly running next to him.

"You said B-12, right?"

The redhead nodded, "Hai," as he rounded a final corner to the room and pushed the flap open quickly, a gust of wind behind him telling him his brother was stuttering to a stop behind him.

Sakura looked up from her work, eyes wide with shock, but then narrowing maternally. "What're you doing looking like you just ran all the way here, Harou?"

Harou rolled his eyes. "Be a Mom after you be a medic for a second. We have a Code Yellow that is quickly turning Red."

Her light green eyes widened significantly upon meeting the steely green eyes of her eldest son as he stumbled into the room, his breath staggering. "It's Kohana, Kaa-san."

Time seemed to stop, to slow down when Sakura eyed the bundle in Daichi's arms, eyed the once smooth creamy skin and all the scars replacing, the remnants of dirt, the stains of blood, and with a medic's eye she stopped herself when she got to ten broken bones.

"Over there; move her over there!" Sakura ordered, pointing to an empty cot, sounding crazier than ever thought, maternal adrenaline rushing over her. "Harou, get me Hotaru, Midori, Sora and Shin! Tell them AB Blood; got it?"

He nodded quickly and turned to run out.

Sakura bellowed, "Faster! Daichi, go get me my anesthetics in A-2. Right by them is a big green box with my name on it," She informed, filling syringes with liquids, washing her hands, and slapping on some gloves, "Bring me that whole box and tell your Dad not to interrupt."

"Is that all?"

"Tell everyone you see I'm working on a Code Red right now," She muttered, eyes serious as she turned on machines and checking the blood that she already had in the room with her.

Daichi nodded and sprinted out of the room. "Code Red, Code Red!"

* * *

A bright white stream of light flashed into his face, and he almost groaned. This was it. He was dying. The lights were flashing, telling him it was his time and any minute now a random guy dressed in a white dress would flow from the clouds and declare himself his angel.

"Kichiro—Kichiro! We know you're awake so stop being a lazy ass!"

_Ino…ugh. Who let her be a medic anyway? _Kichiro thought, blinking his eyes open, only to be greeted by an even brighter light and a blonde woman filling his vision, her baby blue eyes satisfied.

She moved the flashlight away from his face. "See, you should stop worrying, Hina-san. He's alive and now he's awake."

Kichiro suppressed a yawn and tried not to look around with brand new baby-eyes as he always did when he woke up after being in the hospital, except this time it would be a _little _different seeing as this technically wasn't a hospital. It was just makeshift. So he looked around, his eyes wide, ears in tune to all the noises.

The water faucet ran behind him, the pressure hard against the shiny metal-like surface, and he heard a soft hum coming from his right, where another patient, and his teammate, Hitomi, was doodling in a notebook. He would have to ask later on what happened to her, since it seemed like she always came out of things unharmed, since she almost always fought far distance, but another sound, the silent, hushed cries that were coming from his left caught his attention.

He rolled to his side, careful not to rip out any of the numerous cords attached to his body, keeping markings for who knows what. "I'm fine, Mom. D-Don't worry so much."

Hinata took a tissue from a box of Kleenex that some nurse had offered her and daintily wiped her tears. "Y-You'd think I'd b-be used to it, ne?"

Kichiro shrugged, smiling. "Yeah, I guess s—"

A loud honking noise interrupted the sweet Mother-Son moment, and loud wails followed after. His eyes fell one seat over to his younger by two minutes sister, who was currently ripping tissues from her offered box like there was no tomorrow, tears flowing out of her eyes like a waterfall. "Don't you da-da-dare do that again, you baka! I th-thought you were dead and I was all, like, what-what-what if you are dead? What am I going to do! I'd have no-no-no training partner wh-when I'm bored and," She blew her nose loudly, "and you are so _stupid!_ Getting locked in a genjutsu like that! You freaking disappeared! One-one second you were there and then _poof _you're freaking g-gone!"

He groaned. "Don't you ever shut u-up?"

"Make me!"

"I would if I wasn't c-currently hospitalized!"

His blond sister, eyes as blue as his, skin as pale and freckly, stuck out her tongue. "Ngh!"

"Ngh!"

Hitomi, from the comfort of her bed, hurled a pencil in their direction, though she missed horribly. "I'm glad you're awake, Uzumaki, but…," She glared at him, her inky black eyes piercing, "I would shut it if I were you. I'm tired so I'm going to sleep and I'm a very light sleeper. So hush."

She informed, stretching her arms as high as possible, especially considering one was in a sling. Hitomi was Ino and Sai's daughter, and as wonderfully horrid as they both were, however she was the furthest from emotionally detached like her father. There's a rumor going around that she has had a crush on every single male in their Rookie group.

Hinata got up from her seat and motioned for Masumi to do as well. "It is late. Come on Masumi; you can see your brother in the morning."

"Ugh," She glared at Kichiro, hopping up from her seat, "You better learn how to s-sleep with your eyes open, Nii-san."

Just as the two exited the subsection of the little lodge built by Yamato, one of his Dad's old teachers, Kichiro let out a heavy breath, sinking back into pillows. He was _tired_, but still couldn't help but wonder how long he'd been out. An hour or two? A couple days, maybe? The way Hinata acted, he must've been unconscious for months.

He groaned, stretching and turning to his 'sleeping' teammate that was probably still awake, sketching away. That would explain the scratching noises only distinguishable as a pencil against paper. "Hitomi-chan," He called quietly, "you up?"

She sighed heavily. "What, Uzumaki?"

"How long was I out?"

The girl flipped around in her bed, so she was facing him, and she scrunched up her slightly piggish nose. "Eh…I would say about a week. You got beat up pretty bad, but Shikamaru-san said that he saw you walk here, all beat up and crap. Did you really?"

Kichiro smiled. "Are you belittling the will power of Hokage's son?"

There was a pregnant silence in the room as the girl stared levelly at him, her gaze unreadable even though she was mentally imaging Kichiro falling down a mountain repeatedly. He annoys her to no end.

"Take your time trying to answer that," He laughed, though it was cut off quickly when she through another pencil in his direction, its point hitting the wall next to him.

Hitomi grunted, flicking off the light above her. "Don't talk to me."

* * *

_**A/N: **__Before you ask, you can have blue eyes and have Byakugan. I looked it up on Narutopedia or something. It's less powerful, but still the same concept._

_Code Red = Dying Ninja_

_Code Yellow = Poisoned/Severely Injured_

_Code Black = Captured Enemy Ninja_

_Code Green = Minor Injuries_

_Anymore I think of, I'll keep you all posted. Questions? Feel free to ask._

_And please, please, please times twenty billion review. I don't care if you didn't like it. Tell me, yell at me, feel free to criticize, but I feel really stupid posting these chapters that I worked so hard on and not getting any feedback at all. Positive or negative. So, drop a review. Please. I would get on my knees but I busted one up boarding._

_I want to know if I should continue posting this, trying to write to a somewhat deadline, or if I should write to my own leisure._

_Review! (PLEASE!)_

_**NaruBaby2496**_


	3. Apparatus

Canon

* * *

.3.

_**Apparatus**_

.3.

* * *

I once thought that when a person died, civilian, ninja, Genin or Black Op, they flowed in an ocean of white and that everything was perfectly silent, that there was a type of eternal peace. Then, after my first real mission, I realized that was a stupid thought.

There's no such thing as peace, life after death, or eternal-life when you're a ninja.

* * *

A single flame flared in the darkening room, orange, yellow, red, and blue hues dancing on the tent's walls, creating ghastly shadows and figures over the long wooden meeting table, casting darkness over one side of Sasuke's face. His hands are folded, elbows perched on the edge of the desk, head lying on the interlacing sections of his hands, eyes blank, face in a frozen, stony like seriousness. Some would say it was his signature pose whenever he thought over something, others were smart enough not to say a thing when he sat still like that, eyes gone but still in reality.

The wind howled on the outside, heavy rain pelting the fabric of the tent, each drop distinguishable.

His Council members waited in a way that seemed patient for his choice on what to do pertaining toward the Fifth Ninja War, their status and future battle quotas and plans, more specifically who to let fight, considering that most Jonin and Special Jonin were suffering from injuries that wouldn't be close to halfway healed by next week, even with the medics working from day in to day out.

A particularly loud clap of lightning lit up the room white, and screams followed from the outside, as did a rush of wind, it blowing that candle sitting in the middle of the table out with a _shhh_, the room pitch black.

There was a pregnant pause filled of no-doubt becoming panic, but as soon as Sasuke gathered his composure, he sighed.

"Let's start," He said, easily forming the hand signs necessary for a katon and lighting a completely new flame, "We have a lot to talk about."

The orange from the fire heated his skin, bringing a yellow overcast over his dark, never ending obsidian eyes, the inferno mirrored perfectly in them.

* * *

Crickets, many of them, filled the ambience, as did random droplets of rain slipping through a chakra barrier that extra nin created, they sitting in a meditative position at each of their posts, about three yards apart from each other, creating a rough circle. The rain slid off the light blue glowing orb-shaped force field, keeping the inside as dry as possible; medics of the highest caliber were working hard on a particular patient.

Midori, one of Sakura's most trusted medics, stared at her careful hand and the small, precise ink strokes that followed the smallest flick of her wrist—drawing and mirroring symbols around the girl, on her body, following her sensei's work to the smallest flick of a brush, perfectionism settling in where necessary.

Others worked on the outside, going from the center where Kohana was to the very edge of the circle, forming symbols necessary to make this jutsu go as smoothly as possible, and as quickly. Mistakes just simply weren't allowed, so their eyes were trained to the darkness, able to see the smallest imperfection. This was Sasuke-sama's daughter, his firstborn daughter. If she died, they all were dead.

A final brushstroke was drawn on the dirt ground of the earth and beads of sweat rolling down her once-overly large forehead, Sakura placed a trained palm on the girl's neck, searching for a pulse. When a soft, dying, sporadic heartbeat and a shaky breath came as her reply, Sakura stood carefully from her crouch.

She centered her chakras, placing her hands together and closing her eyes.

The other medics watched her with learning eyes, waiting for initiative on what to do next, and how to do it. They observed the green aura emitting from the roseate, and how it pulsated further out and with a heavy _whoosh _of air, that signaling the sheer strength and control of the chakras.

Sakura opened her eyes, cotton candy eyebrows furrowed in concentration, a glowing neon green diamond appearing in the middle of her forehead.

"Let's start; we have no more time left to waste."

They all nodded, moving swiftly to their previously designated positions, pressing their palms in the earth, closing their eyes and emitting their own energy. Slowly, symbol by symbol, the lines of ink lit a radiating green, whirls of wind rushing by as a tornado the closer the green light got to Kohana. Arms trembled in exhaustion, trying to break the natural barrier that was always there to protect the girl's own chakra, and Sakura barked, "Don't quit!"

Short, quick, nods followed, and almost silent, "Hai," responses reached the woman's ears.

She watched with strained eyes as the green chakra sluggishly followed the circular pattern around her daughter, waited impatiently for the two ends to connect.

The wind cried, swirling around the barrier like an artificial hurricane without water. Sakura pushed her palms deeper into the ground, gathering natural energy as the green inched as a newborn caterpillar, closer and closer to each other.

Four nin circled on the outside of the barrier, a small portion of those ninja holding it up, straightened as their ears caught the distinct sound of muffled wind, strong wind, and heat, heat unimaginable radiating from the barrier.

What was going on in there?

Sakura stared as the seals finally closed the circle; she stared in expectation, gasping when the wind came to a hush, abruptly. The medics around her ogled mouths agape, until nothing else happened. It was a scary, silencing, funeral like silence.

"S-Shishou…is that supposed to—"

She stared harshly at him, hushing him immediately. The other nin seemed to stop breathing, hoping for this to work and Sakura growled to herself. This was going to work whether it wanted to or not.

Her entire body lurched forward as she ordered, "DON'T STOP! Force it!"

They stared at her blankly, some obliging immediately, others looking on in awe as the seals on Kohana's body started glowing green, until they met at her core, around her belly button, and the wind started hurling again, faster and with more force.

Smiles cracked onto their faces as they joined in, pumping more energy into it, gathering and mixing natural energy with their own chakra, sending it into the girl with a shock.

Midori's eyes snapped open, tears almost falling when another silence enveloped the inside of the barrier. It hadn't—

Then she looked up, to where Kohana was floating, a green healing aura radiating off her, her hair flowing with the returning wind, and before they could all celebrate, a white beam shot out of her body with a lightning-like crack, blinding and drowning.

Through all the screams of terror from onlookers that had gathered to watch, the medics could distinguish one panicked mother's order. "Her body's retaliating! Don't stop! Don't quit!"

Because if they did, her daughter would die before she could do anything about it.

* * *

Three quick knocks interrupted Shikamaru as he explained a possible battle strategy that could be used, and his black eyes zoomed to the door, as did the others in the group that is formally called Council.

Naruto, comfortably seated at the head of the table, twisted around so he could see the door, and he goofily sung, "Who is it?"

A few, the newly inducted, laughed lowly and to themselves at the lightheartedness of the Hokage, others, the older, original members, scowled at his silliness. The majority of the original Council didn't even want him as Hokage, in the first place. It was these new, younger, ignorant to reality children they were forced to work with that thought Uzumaki Naruto was fit to lead a village.

The door creaked open, and Hinata smiled brightly at the people in the room, waving to those who waved at her, walking into the well-lit meeting quarter, her daughter steps behind her.

"Oh, j-just the two most important, loving, freaking awesome chicks in your life," Masumi answered airily, skipping to her father and wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. She laughed, placing a huge kiss on his whiskered cheek. "Kichiro woke up a couple minutes ago," She announced, to which the Council clapped proudly.

Through the applause, Naruto smiled brightly, looking up to his wife who was standing on his other side, opposite to that of Masumi. He grinned, standing and wrapping both the women in a big bear hug, "Really, now? If that doesn't deserve extra ramen, I don't know what does!"

Hinata giggled into his chest. Some things never change….

She got up on tiptoe and pecked him chastely on the lips. "Sorry for interrupting your meeting just to tell you something that could've w-waited until the morning, though. Masumi just couldn't wait."

"Not true!" The girl laughed, crossing her arms across her chest and pouting.

Naruto grinned, sitting back in his 'official' chair, straightening his crumpled clothes and remembering a smaller, miniature version of a girl who used to do that all the time. "Both you and your mom make a good argument, but…this meeting is pretty important if I must say so myself," More dry laughter, "So, I'll see you two lovely ladies in the morning."

Hinata leaned down and kissed Naruto again, a light blush powdering her cheeks. "A-Aishiteru, Naruto-kun, I'll see you in the morning."

"Love you, Tou-san!" Masumi yelled, squeezing his head affectionately.

Naruto delivered his goodbyes, his smile soft when the door clicked close, a surefire sign that the two females were now out of the room. He ran a strong, tanned hand through his golden locks, massaging a growing headache.

He groaned tiredly, "Sorry about that."

"It's no problem, Hokage-sama," A Councilmember disregarded, waving his hand as if swatting a fly, "We were almost done anyway. We just need your say on a couple things."

Naruto chuckled. "I can feel the stress bubbling…,"

* * *

Daichi stared blankly at the man guarding the entrance from the meeting room's entrance, his patience withering shorter and shorter by the second.

He had to be a real idiot not to know who he was.

"Just let me in, Jiao," He growled, steely green eyes narrowing dangerously toward the guard. It'd been a ten minute glaring battle before the oldest of Sasuke decided against physically harming the idiot, but, now he was about to lose it. How many times did he have to explain who he was and why he needed to be in there?

The guard stood his ground, staring levelly at the teen. "Until the meeting is over, there is no right you have to allow you—"

Daichi glowered. "I am Sasuke-sama's _son_. There's no glamour or disguise or any other thing going on. I swear to Kami."

"…How do I know your confessions are true?" ,was all he could ask before a certain eighteen year old yanked him by the shoulder, moving the burly man from the entrance and waltzing in, aggravated and even closer to the edge. He'd have to spar with one of his brothers once he gets home, which for now was a tent-section, if he ever got there before the sun decided to rise.

The stupidity of some people never ceases to amaze.

He neared his father, the dark, looming eyes of the other Council Members on him the second he entered the room. The stares sent shivers up his spine, but he crouched near Sasuke and greeted, a large smirk playing on his face, "Hey, Pops."

Sasuke looked with curious eyes toward Daichi. "What is it?"

He shrugged. "Ma just wanted you to know that she's working on Kohana and that you shouldn't interrupt her or else she's not going to let you get any for the rest of the month." The smile widened further, almost defying the Laws of Uchiha and Obvious Show Happiness.

A couple of people shifted uncomfortably in their seats, suppressed laughs almost bursting out of pressed lips.

"If that is so," Sasuke started, a warning tone in his voice, "then you would be smart to get your tail up and walk out."

A smirk of his own played on his face at the appalled look on Daichi's face. "I didn't do anything!" The younger Uchiha laughed, throwing his hands up in self-defense as he got up from his crouch, walking backwards toward the exit.

Sasuke nodded. "Right…right…Kohana is," He searched for the right word for a half second, his own throat tightening in thought of the word, "alive?"

Daichi gripped the fabric of the exit flap. "Oh, yeah; surprised she didn't die of starvation or anything like that, though. Then again, she is _my _little sister, and the medics are great at what they do, you know. When I got the message that they wanted me and Harou to come and get her, they were doing the pre-emergency room check or whatever it is. I think it was all Hana-chan, though. She's got the willpower of a lioness!"

"Aa," He agreed, a prideful, proud aura emitting from him. All of that was true, even more so if it was coming from him on one of his good days. Sasuke loved—yes, quote it, loved—his daughter more than life itself, a heavy victim of the Daddy's Girl syndrome. Anything she asked for was given, in return for her hard work and dedication, do-good and try hard.

"Anyway," Daichi yawned, "I'm going to call it a night. Love."

A stream of yellow light from the hallway crawling into the room and irritating the eyes that had adjusted to the darker lightening, and Sasuke looked toward a man directly across from him who was straightening papers with more noise than necessary.

It stopped almost immediately, but a voice hard and scratchy like sandpaper replaced. "Have we reached a decision, Sasuke-sama?"

All eyes landing on him, his heart pounded a bit harder in nerves, but he shook spiky bangs out of his face, clearing his throat.

"Yes."

* * *

_She was skipping happily in a world of bright lights, a sunny, happy, sun, black sunglasses and all, flowers singing as she skipped through the green and healthy meadow, singing with the beautiful blossoms, swinging a woven basket containing shimmering coins. _

_The coins glistened as gold as her golden blonde hair that was flowing behind her with the wind, her white sundress doing the same. She slowed to a happy walk upon seeing a saddened girl with straight, glass-silky purple hair on a swing, her eyes distant and far. She looked like a zombie. _

_Always one to fix the sad—it was her job, after all—the girl skipped over toward the teenager barely moving on the swing, a big smile plastered on her face as she chirped, "Hello! Are you sad?"_

_Kohana looked up from the grass slowly, very slowly, the same dry expression locked. _

"_You look sad," The little girl murmured to herself, reaching into her woven basket and feeling around for a coin, until she stopped abruptly, the smile falling. "Hey, what's your name?"_

_She blinked, and then scratched her throat, dropping her hand from the woven rope connected to the wooden plank that was acting as a swing. "Uchiha Kohana," was her dry reply, the lost look beginning to glaze over in her eyes once again._

_The blonde girl gasped, smacking her own cheeks with her hands in shock. "Oh, no! Tou-san told me that I have to give you two coins and that you have to make a choice between them, but I have to tell you a story, too."_

_Kohana stared blankly at her as she struggled with keeping the basket in her hand and digging through one of the pockets in her dress. When she finally found what she was looking for, she turned the black coin around, seemingly looking for imperfections. _

"_Okay!" The little girl exclaimed, an act that sent Konoha's back ramrod straight. "This is the Coin of Hate and Death, also accompanied by darkness, loneliness, and sadness. A reason why you might want to have this, though, is because with this coin you get power, lots and lots of power, and if my Tou-san was right, a strong ninja like you would really appreciate free power, right?"_

_She nodded softly, eyes becoming hypnotized by the red shimmering off the coin whenever light hit it, little blood red ninja fighting against each other to the death, screams of anguish and tears of depression filling her ears. She was acutely aware of the fact that the girl had started talking again._

"_But…," The blonde little one reached into her basket and pulled out a gold coin, with a bright smile, "you have another option, and that is the Coin of Love and Life, which comes with light, friends, and happiness. When compared to the black coin, it may seem unnecessary and too much of a hassle, but, in the long run it's worth it, because you'll have a heart, a strong, healthy, loving heart that's compassionate and understanding. You'll even—" Her speech was cut short when a low rumble came from the east, black thunderstorms peaking from behind a range of mountains. _

_Kohana lifted a perfectly arched brow. "I'll even what?" She asked, echoing the girl's last words. _

_The hazel eyes of the child dissolved back into reality with a single blink. "Oh, sorry!" She apologized with a smile, "Can I ask you a question, Kohana of the Uchiha family?"_

_She shrugged, twisting in the swing. "Go ahead…"_

"_Have you ever loved anyone? Like, had a crush or boyfriend or anything like that? Shown mercy to one of the other ninjas you fight?"_

"…_No—"_

_The girl's small and somewhat sticky hand covered her mouth, mid-word. "That's not good, though, Kohana! Not good at all; nope, nope, nope."_

_Her face twisted into a sort of confusion as the clouds drew closer together, thunder and lightning cracking in the background. "What do you mean?" She asked, forcing the girl's hand off._

"_I mean that I might have to give you a Coin of Hate and Death!"_

_Kohana averted her gaze, "Your point is…?"_

"_And then you die—as soon as you take it you die! And so will this guy," She went searching through her basket once more, and pulled out a silver coin, and Kohana's heart skipped a beat, "Not immediately or anything, but he sure will be alone and sad."_

_She dropped the silver coin into Kohana's lap, crossing her arms. "And I hate having to be the deciding choice between whether someone with a chance of having a gold coin gets a life of someone who has a heart worth having a black coin. So, you decide! Cuz that guy looks really special!" In a quieter voice, she added, pouting, "And so do you. You two just need each other."_

_The coming storm seemed to pause to a distinct hush, like a pause, as Kohana stared at the reflection in the silver coin, the messy, wavy dark blue hair, slightly pale, freckly skin, clear like water blue eyes and a person that looked just like her but she swore it couldn't be. She would never laugh, smile, joke, and _cuddle_ with a Konoha-nin. She would never blush a pretty pink when he stopped laughing and pulled a strand of her hair neatly behind her ear. Never, never would she stare up to him with soft eyes, let her forest green eyes flutter closed with his bright blue; let the small amount of space close as their lips connected in a innocent kiss that was growing more and more passionate by the second. _

_Still, though she thought she would never, a small smile graced her face, and her eyes never ripped away from the coin as she asked quietly, "What does this coin symbolize?"_

"_Oh; silver coins mean Innocence and Purity. They're not as perfect as gold coins, but just as meaningful." The girl answered as if it was routine, though soon she stared at the once saddened face that was growing content and smiled, "You know that boy?"_

_Before Kohana could answer, the heavy storm clouds rolled in, fast and dark, fat and ready to release whatever they were containing. The girl with the golden hair jumped when a particularly loud clap of lightening rung. _

_She fiddled with her hands and the basket, not sure which hand would be better to carry it in, supposedly. "Oooh, darn it! Look—um, long story short, if you don't make a choice now you you're gonna wake up soon and probably not end up on Earth and if your catching my drift," The girl weighed her hands like a balance, "you'll probably end up in the not so awesome place that blazing hot in the summer."_

_Kohana stared at her with worried eyes, clutching the silver coin in her hands, "Wh-What do you mean? I-I like it here now, it's—"_

"_This is the deciding place! I'm the angel, okay! I'm the one who determines Earth, Heaven or Hell…o Kitty! I don't want to send you there but, um, you have about a minute. UGH! I should have longer…" She whined._

_Her green eyes widened with realization. She was floating in the middle of life or death, and her Mom, most likely, and her other medics were trying to pull her to life much faster than expected, and this poor girl here was trying to persuade her to—_

_The lightening cracked hard, wind blowing the happy trees and flowers so hard that their smiling faces turned to frowns, and the sunglass donning sun turned gray, its face menacing and evil. _

_Kohana yelled to the hyperventilating girl through the storm, "Okay! What're my choices?"_

"_L-Life or D-Death," She managed to mutter between flowing tears, though just as Kohana was about to reply, she shook her head, "B-But there's conditions! I-I-I—" The rain started pelting, "OOOH! I swear," She fumbled around in one of her pockets and quickly retrieved a brilliant white coin and placed it in Kohana's hand. _

_Kohana looked at it, it's absence of reflection strange, seeing as all the others seemed to for tell the outcome of receiving one with their shimmering reflection. "What is this for!" She asked, the rain almost blinding her of her vision, if that's what the water really was. _

_The blonde sniffed, but managed to smile. "It's the white coin of Indecision. It changes with the actions of its holder, determines their life after death. I'm giving you the last one," She smiled brighter, "because I think you'll do well with it."_

_Kohana stuffed the coin in her pants pocket, surprised she was still able to hear the little girl even though she couldn't see her. "Who has had the other ones—what do I have to do—I-I have so many questions! What if I lose it?"_

_The wind cried louder, this new, subconscious world hotter. _

"_Answer one," Came a steady voice as she grew lightheaded, "you'll never lose it; it's in your heart." Her eyes demanded to close when her feet fell limp under her and she fainted, "Answer two, follow your heart and not your head or those silly ninja tactics. You're a human before anything." The sounds of heart monitor beeps and people murmuring quietly filled her ears, but not before the giggle of the blonde girl or the subconscious world slowly dissolved, "Answer three…I gave the other coin to your father, Uchiha Sasuke."_

* * *

Naruto wiped his sleep-deprived eyes as the morning sun rolled into the office, and he managed a strong voice. "We'll send squads of four in the direction of each enemy base, Sound and Rain, in hopes they reach the Home within a month. Chuunin and up."

* * *

"All measures will be taken when necessary. There will be no shortstops, no mercies, no excuses," Sasuke continued, tired eyes adjusting to the early morning dawn sun creeping into the room.

* * *

"This war has been long…" Naruto prolonged his eyes growing hard and serious, "And, by any means,"

* * *

Sasuke smirked. "It's _going _to end."

* * *

Her green eyes opened, chest heaved up with a heavy, sharp breath, and she shot up with a start.

* * *

_**A/N: **__OMG! (Oh-mmm-igg) Thank-you-Thank-you-Thank-you for reviewing! It made me so happy, so very, very, very very happy! You don't even understand! But, on to business before I plead for more. _

_That whole coin thing—I made that up. It's not—consciously—based off any religious belief. I'm not trying to change people or whatever. That's my creativity and my book. We're learning about beliefs and stuff in Social Studies._

_ANYWAYZ! The war it tightening. Oh. Snap. What is bound to ensue? Well, I can tell you that I know what will happen in a few chapters, but, next chap? Ha-ha-about that…_

_However, reviews always fuel my inspiration and make my day, and with this being NextGen, that is always a good thing and feeling to know that people actually took their time to read a story with characters that are original, let alone review and leave their two cents. This is really fun for me to write, but even more fun when I know that people are reading and leaving their thoughts. It's a great feeling. I give my amorous thanks to those who reviewed last chapter. I give you cookies. _

_P5ch0 or whatever it is! I LOVE YOU! it's an insider… _

_Anyway, please review again! Yell at me! Flame! Thoughts are thoughts, comments are comments, but they all lead to progression!_

**~NaruBaby2496 (REVEIW PLEAZE!)**


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